Author name: George Fitzpatrick

Cenk Uygur Goes Bonkers When Dave Rubin Reads His Own Words Back to Him
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Cenk Uygur Goes Bonkers When Dave Rubin Reads His Own Words Back to Him

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Political commentator Dave Rubin appeared on Piers Morgan’s “Uncensored” on Wednesday, where he discussed the assassination of his friend Charlie Kirk and confronted fellow guest Cenk Uygur over past rhetoric and video titles.

Rubin argued that equating political rhetoric from the Left and the Right as “symmetrical” is “deeply dangerous.”

During the program, Rubin questioned Uygur about titles of videos that remain online on his channel, which he said reflected inflammatory commentary about Kirk.

The exchange quickly escalated, with Uygur repeatedly shouting at Rubin to “shut up” and accusing him of trying to incite violence.

Uygur had earlier posted an emotional message on X following Kirk’s death.

In that post, he wrote, “… Charlie died. God damn it, this is not the way!! I didn’t just know him from our interviews and debates, but I met his wonderful wife. This is beyond heartbreaking!! Violence is so stupid! He was a real person, a human being, who just died in front of our eyes. Tragic!!”

Rubin responded by citing examples of Uygur’s prior commentary.

He specifically read video titles that referred to Kirk and asked Uygur to account for them.

Rubin described Kirk as “one of the best human beings I ever met” who “did not have a bone of racism, misogyny” in his body.

The discussion turned more tense when Rubin asked Uygur whether he believed Kirk wanted to be martyred.

Uygur called the question “asinine.”

Rubin then played a clip in which Uygur had described Kirk as playing the “victim” and having “easy martyrdom” after an altercation with Antifa in Philadelphia.

Uygur denied making the remarks, even as Rubin presented the video.

“Cut this crap out,” Uygur shouted multiple times.

Viewers online quickly reacted to the exchange.

Commentator Maze Moore posted, “This is incredible. He’s calls people nazis but freaks out over violence happening to him because you read the titles to his videos back to him. What a psycho.”

Rubin later addressed the confrontation on social media, writing, “Yea it’s utterly pointless to be on a show with him except to do just that…” He added that his appearance on Morgan’s program came at a time of heightened emotion.

“The sadness and anger have been brewing since the news and I needed an outlet,” Rubin wrote.

Rubin emphasized that his defense of Kirk came from personal experience, describing him as a close friend who was unfairly maligned by political opponents.

The discussion highlighted ongoing disputes over political rhetoric, accountability, and the role of media in shaping public discourse in the aftermath of Kirk’s assassination.

The program’s heated exchange reflects the continued fallout following Kirk’s death, which has prompted widespread debate across political and media platforms.

As Rubin and others push back against narratives they argue misrepresented Kirk during his life, the controversy surrounding rhetoric and responsibility remains a subject of national discussion.

Democrats Reject Kirk Tribute, Anna Paulina Luna Explodes: “You F**king Own This’”
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Democrats Reject Kirk Tribute, Anna Paulina Luna Explodes: “You F**king Own This’”

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Tensions erupted on the House floor Wednesday after Democrats declined to join Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) in holding a moment of silence for Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA who was shot and killed earlier in the day at Utah Valley University.

Kirk, 31, was addressing students in Orem, Utah, when he was fatally struck by gunfire during a question-and-answer session.

Authorities said he was transported to a local hospital, where he later died from his injuries.

The killing prompted reactions across the country, including in Congress.

Speaker Johnson moved to recognize Kirk with a moment of silence. According to members present, the request was met with vocal opposition from Democrats, who declined to participate.

The exchange quickly escalated when Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) directed an outburst toward Democrats on the floor.

“You f**king own this,” she shouted in response to their refusal, according to multiple accounts from lawmakers in the chamber.

The clash showcased the heightened divisions in Washington following the assassination of one of the most visible young conservative leaders in the country.

Kirk, who founded Turning Point USA in 2012, had built a large national profile through campus events, media appearances, and political commentary.

The refusal to honor Kirk with a moment of silence drew sharp criticism from Republicans, who argued that the gesture should have transcended political divides.

Several GOP lawmakers expressed frustration at what they described as a lack of respect for a slain activist.

House officials did not immediately release a statement on the incident. The moment passed without formal recognition, leaving the chamber divided in its response to the day’s events.

Outside of Congress, tributes for Kirk continued to pour in from conservative leaders, students, and colleagues who worked alongside him.

At the same time, law enforcement in Utah said its investigation into the shooting remains ongoing, with federal and local agencies cooperating in the search for the gunman.

Kirk’s assassination has sent shockwaves across political circles and prompted calls for accountability.

The scene on the House floor reflected the national debate that has intensified in the hours since his death, with lawmakers split not only on political issues but on how to honor one of the most prominent conservative activists of his generation.

JD Vance Completely Cooks Liberal Troll Defending Drug Trafficking Cartel Members
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JD Vance Completely Cooks Liberal Troll Defending Drug Trafficking Cartel Members

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Vice President J.D. Vance sparred with anti-Trump commentator Brian Krassenstein on Saturday after defending the U.S. military strike that killed 11 suspected narco-terrorists in the southern Caribbean.

The exchange began when Vance posted on X following the strike against a Venezuelan vessel allegedly carrying narcotics. “Killing cartel members who poison our fellow citizens is the highest and best use of our military,” Vance wrote.

His comment came after U.S. officials confirmed that 11 suspected members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua were killed during the operation on Tuesday.

Krassenstein, a frequent critic of the Trump administration, responded to Vance’s statement by accusing him of endorsing war crimes.

“Killing the citizens of another nation who are civilians without any due process is called a war crime,” Krassenstein wrote.

Vance rejected the criticism outright. “I don’t give a s— what you call it,” the vice president replied.

Krassenstein later escalated his remarks, claiming that Vance “should face impeachment,” over the tweet.

The dispute unfolded as the administration continued to highlight its campaign against international drug traffickers.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth addressed the strike during an appearance on “Fox & Friends” Wednesday, framing it as part of a broader effort to defend U.S. interests in the hemisphere.

“It’s a new day. It’s a different day, and … this is an activity the United States is not going to tolerate in our hemisphere,” Hegseth said.

Hegseth emphasized that the operation targeted a “narco-terrorist organization” that has sought to transport drugs into the United States.

He said the strike delivered a decisive message that such activities would be met with force.

“It won’t stop with just this strike. Anyone else trafficking in those waters, who we know is a designated narco-terrorist, will face the same fate, and it’s important for the American people to protect our homeland and protect our hemisphere,” Hegseth stated.

President Donald Trump also weighed in after the strike, releasing footage of the fiery explosion. He praised the operation and said it should serve as a warning to drug traffickers attempting to target the United States.

The president underscored that no American forces were injured during the action.

Trump further confirmed that the strike took place within the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) area of responsibility.

He said the suspected traffickers were in international waters transporting narcotics bound for the United States when the strike occurred.

The operation marks one of the latest moves in the administration’s efforts to confront cross-border drug trafficking networks, which officials have described as a direct threat to U.S. security.

The Tren de Aragua, the group targeted in Tuesday’s strike, has been linked by U.S. authorities to violent operations across South America and attempts to smuggle narcotics northward.

The clash between Vance and Krassenstein underscored the political divides over the administration’s tactics.

While officials defended the strike as a lawful and necessary response to international drug trafficking, critics continued to raise questions about the use of military force against foreign nationals in international waters.

For the administration, the operation was presented as part of a clear policy shift.

Hegseth and other officials framed it as a direct warning that future attempts to smuggle narcotics into the United States will be met with military action, reinforcing the administration’s message of deterrence against transnational criminal organizations.

Karoline Leavitt Delivers a Powerful Message to Americans in Democrat Run Cities
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Karoline Leavitt Delivers a Powerful Message to Americans in Democrat Run Cities

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Karoline Leavitt, spokeswoman for President Donald Trump, issued a statement highlighting what she described as the success of Trump’s law-and-order approach, pointing to Washington, D.C., as evidence that crime can be reduced quickly when police are empowered to act.

“This entire effort has vindicated what President Trump and Law and Order advocates have been saying for years, and this is our message to Americans in Democrat run cities nationwide, decline is a choice,” Leavitt said.

“You don’t have to live in constant fear of being robbed, raped or murdered. Your leaders are lying to you, and they have been failing you for decades.”

Leavitt argued that local Democratic officials have neglected their constituents for years, while President Trump’s backing of law enforcement has produced results in a matter of weeks.

“The President Trump approach of upholding law and order by letting our brave men and women in blue actually do their jobs to aggressively fight crime works in just a few weeks,” she said.

“President Trump has done more for DC residents than Democrats did in 50 years, and this can be replicated in other crime ridden cities across the nation.”

She added that Trump has made clear he is willing to assist cities across the country, regardless of political leadership, if they ask for federal support.

“As President Trump has said, all of these elected officials in charge have to do is pick up the phone and ask for the President in the federal government’s help,” Leavitt said.

“President Trump doesn’t care if they are a Republican or a Democrat. Leader. He wants Americans to be safe and for every law abiding American citizen across the country to be able to thrive in their city and in their community.”

Leavitt’s comments come as crime remains a central political issue, with Republicans pointing to surges in Democrat-led cities as evidence of failed policies.

She credited Trump with demonstrating that aggressive crime-fighting strategies and support for law enforcement can make communities safer, contrasting it with what she said was decades of ineffective leadership by Democrats.

According to Leavitt, Trump’s model in Washington, D.C., could be adopted in cities nationwide, provided local leaders request federal assistance and allow police to carry out their duties fully.

She emphasized that Trump’s priority is the safety of American families and the restoration of communities struggling under the weight of rising crime.

WATCH:

Ten FBI Whistleblowers Reach Settlements After Retaliation Under Biden Administration
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Ten FBI Whistleblowers Reach Settlements After Retaliation Under Biden Administration

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Ten FBI whistleblowers who reported instances of “political weaponization” inside the bureau under the Biden-Harris administration have reached settlement agreements with the Justice Department.

Officials announced that the whistleblowers will receive lump sum payments for damages, with some also receiving back pay, benefits, and reinstatement to duty.

“These 10 whistleblowers’ brave actions were met with intense bureaucratic blowback that caused severe financial and emotional hardship,” Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said in a statement.

“Their lives were upended for years, but I never stopped fighting until things were made right.”

Grassley credited Attorney General Pam Bondi, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, FBI Director Kash Patel, and Deputy Director Dan Bongino for advancing the cases.

“I appreciate Attorney General [Pam] Bondi, Deputy Attorney General [Todd] Blanche, Director [Kash] Patel and Deputy Director [Dan] Bongino’s unyielding efforts to prioritize accountability and bring closure to these whistleblowers’ cases,” Grassley said.

According to Grassley’s office, the whistleblowers had been subjected to demotions, indefinite unpaid administrative leave, and security clearance revocations, collectively amounting to “over 12 years’ worth of inappropriate suspension time.”

The whistleblowers were represented by the legal nonprofit Empower Oversight.

In a March 5 letter to the FBI’s general counsel, the organization outlined what it described as “reprisal” and “improper targeting” against the agents, while expressing a willingness to “amicably resolve and remedy the harms the FBI has inflicted on our clients.”

Stephen Friend
FBI Special Agent Stephen Friend was indefinitely suspended without pay and had his security clearance revoked after objecting to the use of a SWAT team to arrest a January 6 defendant on a misdemeanor charge.

Friend argued the subject had been cooperative in the past and warned that the operation risked the safety of both the public and FBI personnel. He was sent home on the day of the arrest but was recorded as absent without leave.

Garret O’Boyle
FBI Special Agent Garret O’Boyle, who worked at the Critical Incident Response Group in Virginia, was suspended without pay and had his clearance pulled after being accused of leaking information related to an investigation involving Project Veritas and of improperly accessing FBI files.

Empower Oversight later determined O’Boyle “simply provided information about Project Veritas to another FBI employee and had only accessed FBI files as part of protected whistleblowing to Congress beginning in 2021.”

His clearance was revoked anyway following an additional claim that he mishandled classified information while transferring work materials from his previous post in Wichita, Kansas.

Zachery Schoffstall
Supervisory Special Agent Zachery Schoffstall, based in Idaho, reported what he described as Department of Justice “misconduct” in an investigation involving the white supremacist group Patriot Front.

Schoffstall stated the probe appeared politically motivated. He refused to sign a search warrant affidavit against Patriot Front, or assign another agent to do so, after learning of exculpatory evidence.

He was reassigned to West Virginia and proposed for removal from the bureau.

Monica Shillingburg
FBI employee Monica Shillingburg disclosed what she described as “gross mismanagement” and “gross waste of funds,” tied to changes in how the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) appeals were handled.

She argued the new process would worsen backlogs and increase the chance of an improper gun sale.

According to Empower Oversight, her concerns were later “proven correct.” Shillingburg was reassigned, stripped of responsibilities, and denied telework.

Michael Zummer
Special Agent Michael Zummer, from the New Orleans Division, reported misconduct in the prosecution of a district attorney charged with sex crimes.

According to Empower Oversight, Zummer was blocked from informing the court about conflicts of interest between prosecutors and the DA’s defense attorney.

The case ended in a plea deal for harassment of a witness, with a maximum three-year sentence, despite authorization for more serious charges including RICO.

Zummer’s clearance was suspended and later revoked when he reported the conflicts.

Several of the other whistleblowers who secured settlements have not been identified publicly.

Empower Oversight leaders Jason Foster and Tristan Leavitt wrote to Grassley that “for each of these cases where whistleblowers finally received at least some measure of justice for the retaliation they faced just for telling the truth about wrongdoing, there are many more who still need a remedy.”

They added, “[T]here are more who still have no remedy and no justice. The work to combat weaponization and whistleblower retaliation is far from over.”

The group noted that each settlement varied, but “none required any resignations as a condition of the agreement” and “all include lump sum payments for damages.”

Three whistleblowers—Friend, O’Boyle, and Schoffstall—will also return to duty with restored pay and benefits.

Kathy Hochul Reveals Trump Call Over Possible National Guard Deployment in NYC
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Kathy Hochul Reveals Trump Call Over Possible National Guard Deployment in NYC

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New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Tuesday she recently spoke with President Donald Trump about his threat to send the National Guard to New York City, though she left the conversation unsure of whether such a deployment would occur, as reported by The New York Post.

Speaking at an event in Harlem, Hochul told reporters that the phone call with Trump took place “a couple of days ago” and that she could not predict the president’s decision. “I don’t know what he’ll do,” Hochul said.

WASHINGTON – February 22, 2025: President Donald Trump arrives at the White House South Lawn on Marine One after his visit to CPAC.

Trump has already deployed the National Guard in Washington, D.C., as part of a federal crackdown on violent crime in the capital. His actions there have included a full federal takeover of the city’s police department.

Hochul said she attempted to dissuade Trump from pursuing a similar move in New York. “I was very gracious,” she said. “I just said, ‘I’ll tell you what, Mr. President, if I think I need help from the National Guard on the stuff I’m already doing I know where to find them.’”

The governor noted that she had already deployed state National Guard troops to New York City’s subway system earlier this year in response to crime concerns.

She said she also pointed Trump to crime data in the state. “I had that conversation, I said, ‘Mr. President, I can give you all the data to show that crime is down. It’s working. Our policies are working. NYPD is doing their job.’”

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul speaks during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center.

Hochul also criticized Trump’s recent executive order aimed at ending cashless bail, a measure that appeared directed in part at New York. The state eliminated cash bail for most misdemeanors and non-violent felonies under reforms signed in 2019 by then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

The governor argued Trump’s order would not apply in New York and rejected his characterization of the state’s laws. “The president is wrong. He’s flat out wrong,” Hochul said. “We don’t have cashless bail in New York.”

She defended the state’s current bail structure, pointing out that crimes including murder, rape, robbery, and other serious violent and sexual offenses remain bail eligible.

“He has no concept of how our laws work here… He’s just trying to throw gasoline on a fire,” Hochul said. “I think he’s going after blue states, Democratic states, states with Democratic governors, states with Democratic mayors. It’s just part of a larger strategy to create chaos.”

The exchange underscores growing tensions between the White House and Democratic state officials as Trump weighs additional deployments of federal law enforcement and National Guard troops to address violent crime across the country.

Chaos Erupts: Pro-Palestinian Activists Hijack Democrats’ Town Hall Meeting
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Chaos Erupts: Pro-Palestinian Activists Hijack Democrats’ Town Hall Meeting

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A Missouri Democrat’s town hall event spiraled into chaos Tuesday night, as pro-Palestinian demonstrators repeatedly disrupted Rep. Wesley Bell (D-Mo.) and clashed with fellow attendees.

Bell, who unseated progressive Rep. Cori Bush in last year’s Democratic primary, began the event by addressing his views on Israel and Hamas but was quickly met with constant interruptions.

Within 20 minutes of his opening remarks, the forum descended into heated exchanges.

“Stop talking. This is not your town hall. You can leave,” Bell told protesters at one point.

Soon after, he urged the audience to consider the broader challenges facing the country.

“While we’re sitting here being divided and fighting one another, we’ve got other folks out there who are taking our democracy from us.”

The congressman’s remarks on Hamas sparked some of the loudest reactions from the crowd.

When he stated that Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel “was not just a terror attack, October 7 was an invasion,” the audience responded with boos and jeers.

Later, when Bell suggested the need to “surge aid” to Gaza, demonstrators again shouted over him.

“You disagree with that?” he asked the crowd, drawing another round of protests.

As the disruptions continued, activists shouted accusations, calling Bell a “war criminal” and alleging that his stance amounted to support for genocide.

Tensions escalated further when Bell pushed back on a participant who labeled Israel’s military response a genocide.

“You don’t get to set the genocide definition,” one activist shouted.

Bell replied, “No, I don’t… and here’s the thing, people can disagree, that’s what makes our country great.”

He added, “When it comes to the word genocide, I kind of disagree with you… because Israel was attacked by an openly genocidal terrorist group.”

“Hamas said openly that they want to destroy Israel… and so you’re accusing somebody of genocide, you’re standing with an organization that says they want to commit genocide. You don’t see that?” he continued, as boos grew louder.

Despite the disruptions, Bell maintained that a balanced approach was needed.

“We need to see a surge in humanitarian aid into Gaza, we need to see an end to the war. We need to see every single hostage returned, and we need to see a viable future for Gaza without Hamas.”

While much of the event was dominated by pro-Palestinian demonstrators, many attendees expressed support for Bell, particularly when he shifted the discussion to local issues.

“The number one killer of kids in St. Louis between [ages] 1 and 17 is gun violence, and there’s people who want to talk about that too,” Bell said, drawing applause from the audience.

At one point, a woman in the crowd confronted the protesters directly. “Shut up with your White privilege,” she shouted.

“You’ve never been hungry, you’ve never had a child be hungry, and yet you want to stand here and diminish the work he’s doing?”

It was not clear whether the activists responded.

The moderator also attempted to calm the situation, calling for security to remove one disruptive attendee just minutes into the event.

She urged the crowd to let the discussion continue. “Let’s do this the Democratic way, the democracy way. You can’t hear anyone yelling. I hear you. As a mixed-race person, I hear you,” she said.

“We can’t get through this if you are yelling and barking and acting like you want to get physical.”

Despite the confrontations, Bell later released a statement expressing gratitude for the turnout.

“I want to thank everyone that came out to our town hall this evening – yes the conversations were passionate at times, but Democracy is messy and we have to passionately defend it,” he wrote on X.

“At the end of the day we’re going to continue to fight for the St. Louis region and for our country.’

Big Pharma Exposed: Screenshot Reveals Bankrolling of Pediatric Group Pushing COVID Shots for Babies
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Big Pharma Exposed: Screenshot Reveals Bankrolling of Pediatric Group Pushing COVID Shots for Babies

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The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is facing renewed questions over corporate influence in vaccine recommendations after a screenshot surfaced showing the organization’s top corporate donors.

The image, shared Tuesday on X by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., revealed that four of the largest pharmaceutical companies are listed among the academy’s highest-level contributors.

The screenshot, which Kennedy said came directly from the AAP’s website, identified Merck, Moderna, Pfizer, and Sanofi as “Presidential Circle” donors—each contributing $50,000 or more annually to the AAP’s “Friends of Children’s Fund.”

In return, the companies receive invitations to an exclusive Corporate Summit hosted each summer at AAP’s national headquarters in Itasca, Illinois.

Kennedy, appointed HHS Secretary under President Donald Trump, noted that these same four companies manufacture nearly every vaccine on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) recommended childhood schedule.

He argued that their financial relationship with AAP raises concerns over whether pediatric vaccine guidance is influenced by corporate sponsorship.

“These four companies make virtually every vaccine on the CDC-recommended childhood vaccine schedule,” Kennedy wrote on X.

“AAP is angry that CDC has eliminated corporate influence in decisions over vaccine recommendations and returned CDC to gold-standard science and evidence-based medicine, laser-focused on children’s health.”

Kennedy further accused AAP of aligning with industry interests by issuing its own vaccine recommendations that diverge from federal health authorities.

“AAP today released its own list of corporate-friendly vaccine recommendations,” he added.

“The Trump Administration believes in free speech and AAP has a right to make its case to the American people. But AAP should follow the lead of HHS and disclose conflicts of interest, including its corporate entanglements and those of its journal—Pediatrics—so that Americans may ask whether the AAP’s recommendations reflect public health interest, or are, perhaps, just a pay-to-play scheme to promote commercial ambitions of AAP’s Big Pharma benefactors.”

He also emphasized the legal implications of such divergence. “AAP should also be candid with doctors and hospitals that recommendations that diverge from the CDC’s official list are not shielded from liability under the 1986 Vaccine Injury Act,” Kennedy said, signaling that pharmaceutical companies may no longer enjoy the same protections when recommendations are not aligned with federal policy.

The controversy follows AAP’s recent recommendation that children between six months and 23 months old receive a COVID-19 vaccine, even as the CDC and HHS adjusted their official stance under the Trump administration

. Earlier this year, Kennedy announced that the COVID-19 vaccine for healthy children had been removed from the CDC immunization schedule.

Kennedy also addressed the broader impact of mRNA vaccines during a video posted on X by the Department of Health and Human Services.

He stated that federal scientists concluded the shots, promoted as a solution to the pandemic, actually contributed to prolonging it by helping drive the emergence of variants.

“The science has been reviewed, and it shows that the shots forced on the public by the government to supposedly stop the COVID pandemic actually helped cause the variants and caused the pandemic to go on longer,” Kennedy said in the video.

According to Kennedy, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) reviewed 22 separate investments in mRNA vaccine development and has since begun canceling them.

The review found that the vaccines failed to prevent infections such as COVID-19, prompting the agency to withdraw nearly half a billion dollars in planned federal support.

The revelations about AAP’s corporate ties, combined with HHS’s policy shift, mark a significant turning point in the ongoing debate over vaccine policy and pharmaceutical influence.

With AAP recommendations now standing in contrast to federal guidelines, the issue of transparency and accountability is expected to remain at the forefront of public health discussions.

Karoline Leavitt Smacks Down NYT Reporter Over Trump–Putin Question
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Karoline Leavitt Smacks Down NYT Reporter Over Trump–Putin Question

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White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt clashed with a New York Times reporter on Tuesday after being questioned about President Donald Trump’s decision to make a private phone call to Russian President Vladimir Putin following meetings with European leaders, as reported by the Gateway Pundit.

During the White House press briefing, New York Times correspondent Sean McCreesh asked why the president did not take the call in front of European leaders.

President Donald Trump talks to military troop via a teleconference from Mara-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, on Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 2018. [GREG LOVETT/palmbeachpost.com] Trump Thansgiving 27
Trump had said during a Fox News interview earlier in the day that it “would be disrespectful to President Putin” to do so.

As previously reported, Trump explained that Putin had not communicated with the White House “for years” under the Biden administration and also refused to engage with European leaders. “It’s a fractured relationship,” Trump said.

Leavitt quickly dismissed the reporter’s line of questioning.

“With all due respect, only a reporter from the New York Times would ask a question like that.”

She went on to highlight what she described as the progress achieved during Trump’s meetings with European heads of state at the White House.

“The President met with all of these European leaders at the White House 48 hours after sitting down with President Putin on American soil. In fact, there was so much progress in the readout that was given to these European leaders immediately following his meeting with President Putin that every single one of them got on a plane 48 hours later and flew to the United States of America.”

Leavitt cited the responses from several leaders following the meeting.

She noted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, “It was a very good conversation. It was really good. We spoke about very sensitive points.”

WASHINGTON , DC, USA – January 28, 2025: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt answers questions from journalists in her debut press briefing,

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also praised the discussions, saying:

“It was the president, only because of the President that this deadlock was broken with President Putin by starting a dialog.”

“These leaders, who this war is in their backyard, are very grateful that the President took that call and that he was there to provide them with a readout of Russia’s thinking on this, something that was not done by the previous administration at all,” Leavitt said.

Trump had met with Putin in Alaska on Friday before the White House summit with European leaders on Monday. Following those meetings, Trump told reporters that his conversation with Putin would pave the way for direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.

Cargo Ship Explosion Rocks Baltimore Harbor Near Francis Scott Key Bridge
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Cargo Ship Explosion Rocks Baltimore Harbor Near Francis Scott Key Bridge

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A cargo ship exploded Monday evening in Baltimore Harbor, sending a large fireball into the air and prompting a major emergency response.

Video shared on social media captured the moment of the explosion, showing flames erupting from the vessel.

The footage was widely circulated, including a clip posted by user @barcodemen from a nearby boat that documented the aftermath of the incident.

According to Baltimore City officials, the Baltimore City Fire Department (BCFD) responded to reports of an explosion aboard a commercial vessel in the Patapsco River near the site of the former Francis Scott Key Bridge. The incident occurred shortly after 6 p.m.

Firefighters from both land and water units, including department fireboats, were dispatched to the scene.

Upon arrival, fireboat crews located the W-Sapphire, a 751-foot bulk carrier, which was showing visible damage consistent with a fire and explosion.

Despite the blast, the vessel remained afloat and was stabilized with the assistance of tugboats, officials confirmed.

Authorities reported that all 23 crew members aboard the ship were safely accounted for and uninjured.

“The ship’s crew confirmed that all 23 people on board were accounted for and uninjured,” city officials said in a statement.

The Coast Guard, along with other federal and local agencies, launched an investigation into the cause of the explosion.

Fireboats remained on the scene overnight to monitor the ship while plans were made to move it to a designated anchorage area.

Officials said the vessel would remain there until it is cleared by the Coast Guard.

As of Monday night, the cause of the explosion had not been determined, and investigators were working to assess the extent of the damage.

No hazardous material release was immediately reported, though officials indicated that environmental safety teams were standing by as a precaution.

The explosion adds to a string of maritime incidents in the Baltimore region this year.

The location of the blast, near the former Key Bridge site, drew additional attention as crews continue ongoing recovery and cleanup operations in the harbor.

Witnesses described hearing a loud boom that could be felt across parts of the city.

The fireball was visible from several vantage points around the harbor.

Local officials emphasized that while the explosion was dramatic, the quick response ensured that no injuries were sustained and the ship was secured.

The Coast Guard has not yet provided a timeline for when the W-Sapphire will be inspected or released from anchorage.

Investigators are expected to focus on determining whether mechanical failure, human error, or other factors contributed to the explosion.

Baltimore City authorities said updates will be provided as soon as more information becomes available.

For now, the W-Sapphire remains under guard in Baltimore Harbor as federal agencies work to establish what triggered the sudden blast.


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